Audiobook Review: How Y'all Doing? Misadventures and Mischief From a Life Well-Lived by Leslie Jordan

How Y’all Doin’? Misadventures and Mischief From a Life Well Lived
by Leslie Jordan (Biography Jordan and Hoopla Audio)

When actor/singer/comedian Leslie Jordan died in late October (after suffering a “medical incident” while driving and fatally crashing his car), I had no idea how sad I was going to be. It wasn’t that I was an ardent fan of his, who tracked down everything he’d ever appeared in. But, his bubbly, sarcastic, Southern gay personality had been a staple in film and TV comedies and dramas for decades, and it didn’t seem possible that he was suddenly gone. So I was especially happy to be able to enjoy his distinctive voice as he narrated the audiobook version of his 2021 best-seller How Y’all Doin’?

 

Despite always being sort of a cult-favorite actor for many fans, it wasn’t until COVID-19 hit and everyone sequestered themselves in their homes in 2020, that Leslie achieved mega-fame. Despite not even initially knowing what Instagram was, he launched a new Insta account, where he shared his personality and quirky musings, and managed to gain 5.8 million followers. Which led to this, his second book (his first, My Trip Down the Pink Carpet (2008) isn’t in the libraries’ collection). Leslie wanders back and forth in his career and personal life, not holding anything back as he shares recollections filled with both hilarity and strong sentiment. Despite his seeming befuddlement with technology and social media, his stories of his explorations of Instagram are among the highlights of this incredibly entertaining and informative autobiography. Leslie makes this book feel like he’s sitting and chatting with you.

 

I got this as an audiobook-on-CD through the libraries’ InterLibrary Loan service, but if you can do downloadable audio, the Lincoln City Libraries do have it available through our Hoopla streaming service. I had tried reading this book in print format when it came out in 2021, but just couldn’t get into it. But when he read it aloud, How Y’all Doin’? became one of my favorite reads of 2022. He’s one of those performers I think I would have loved to meet in person. Strongly recommended, for anyone with an interest in celebrities, behind-the-scenes on the entertainment industry, the acting profession, and LGBTQ+ personalities.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, also by Jordan, but only available through InterLibrary Loan.)

 

( official Leslie Jordan web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!